Daniel L. Squadron's posts related to Ethics

ALBANY - With less than two months left in this year's scheduled legislative session, Senate Democrats staged a public hearing trying to pressure majority Republicans to move on ethics reform.

"Push to ensure that something happens this year and to ensure that if and when it does, we really know and are able to measure it against what should be happening," said Senator Daniel Squadron (D - New York City).

Democrats are advocating changes in five major areas: an independent commission to police ethics with neither the Governor nor anyone else able to dominate appointments.

In a result that surprised no one, Sen. Daniel Squadron and other Dems fell short in their attempt to petition four reform bills on to floor of the Senate for a vote.

As the Daily Politics previously reported, Squadron reached out to all 54 senators who signed a pledge for ethics reform asking they sign the bill petitions. Signatures from two-thirds of the chamber, or 38 senators, would be needed to bypass the regular process of bringing legislation to the floor for a vote.

Senator Squadron joined Liz Benjamin on Capital Tonight to discuss "After 'I Do': What's Next for LGBT New Yorkers," a forum he hosted on remaining challenges for the LGBT community. He also discussed Albany ethics reform, which was recently signed into law.

In his State of the State address, the Governor laid out a vision to build on the progress of the past year and continue to move New York forward. Two priorities in particular that he laid out - an end to the practice of fingerprinting food stamp recipients and reforming our campaign finance system - are ready for immediate passage.

NEW YORK -- Today, State Senator Daniel Squadron released the following statement in response to the proposed district lines just released by the Senate Republicans:

Even though the worst of the Republican political shenanigans aren't impacting the district I represent as they are some of my colleagues' districts, the conclusion is undeniable: partisan redistricting is a poisonous process.

Before the 2010 election, every member of the Senate majority pledged to create an independent redistricting process. Now they are breaking the pledge they made to the people and putting politics before their promise. It's no surprise that these politically motivated maps represent the same arrogance as their broken pledge: politicians choosing their constituents, so that constituents lose the power to choose their representatives.

As the Governor has said, any lines drawn in this process must not stand. Voters must make their voices heard now so that their votes can make a difference in November.